Vikings fan beating could mean buzzkill for 49er fans

Clearly the goons who pummeled a Minnesota Vikings fan after a recent game against the San Francisco 49ers weren't the smartest in the stands. But their violent outburst, captured in a viral video, could have unintended consequences for the rest of Niners Nation.

On Tuesday, three men were charged with assaulting the 35-year-old man wearing a Vikes jersey as the crowd left Levi's Stadium on Sept. 14, the SFGate reports. A teenager who was also arrested was given a citation and released to her parents. The video shows attackers decked out in 49ers gear raining cheap shots on the Vikings fan outside the stadium in Santa Clara, California, kicking and punching him while he was on the ground.

"This is not a case revolving around a football rivalry, it is a case of senseless and criminal violence," prosecutor Carolyn Malinsky said in a statement.

Eric Martinez, 30, and Felix Chavira Sr., 32, face up to seven years in prison for their role in the gameday beating. Juan Arias, 33, was smacked with an extra battery charge for injuring the 18-year-old security guard who tried to break it up. However, he faces a maximum four-year sentence.

Hours after the charges were dealt out, Santa Clara officials met to discuss ways of curbing booze-fueled incidents at the year-old stadium. According to the San Jose Mercury News, city leaders weighed pushing last call up to half time, cracking down on tailgating drinkers, and turning away drunk fans at the gate. Heightening post-game DUI enforcement was also floated. Currently, Levi's Stadium stops beer sales at the end of the third quarter, the same policy the Vikings have for home games.

While it's unclear if alcohol played played a role in the assault, the man who posted the video on Facebook wrote that it was sparked by the Vikings fan's relentless smack talk. Cops say the disturbing video helped helm them catch the alleged bad guys.

In 2013, a 30-year-old man died after falling from a walkway at San Francisco's since-shuttered Candlestick Park. Witnesses said he appeared to have been drinking.